Open architecture systems of this general character have been provided to some degree in prior systems such as the IBM "InfoWindow" described, for example, in the IBM Control Program Programmer's Guide, lst Edition; the Sony "View II" system; and earlier systems of the assignee of the present application, Visage Inc., prior to the present invention described in its V-EXEC Reference Guide. The IBM system above-referenced, however, is a closed system with limited videodisc player options; it is not viable for other computer manufacturers' equipment; and it has no PAL support, among other weaknesses from the universal interactive open architecture point of view. The Sony system is also a closed system; it is not industry-graphics compatible; and it has limited software support and no PAL support. The earlier systems of Visage Inc. are also limited in software and functional support.
In accordance with the present invention, techniques have been found for significantly extending the capabilities of the latter systems, with the computer application interface simplified and made accessible to any application program, with the structure modularized, allowing future enhancements to be made more easily and changes to be localized to one module, and with the dynamic loading of functional modules minimizing the size in memory to only that which is necessary for the services requested. The invention, moreover, frees program developers from the constraints of the hardware configurations on which their application program will eventually be run, providing a "virtual" device interface for players and input devices and a migration path for advanced technologies, integrating industrial hardware components into a unified system, and all with presently unattainable flexibility and compatibility in interactive video systems for developers and users.
An object of the present invention, accordingly, is to provide, unlike prior art devices including those above-described, a new and improved and significantly more universal open architecture interactive video-audio-computer method of operation and system, with vastly extended flexibility and compatibility with the myriad of industry hardware standards (video disc players, microprocessors and computers, graphics, etc.) and supporting such components with system software which buffers or insulates applications from the hardware, allows users to optimize system refinements without being restricted to any particular vendor's proprietary technology and without obsoleting earlier component investments, and all with transparency to the user.
The software and its resulting functions underlying the invention, moreover, controls videodisc players, communicates the input/output requirements, manages overlay of computer graphic files and links to third party software to incorporate these capabilities into those products. The invention, furthermore, provides universal videodisc player control which means that players can be changed without requiring a modification to the application software because the system dynamically reconfigures itself.
The invention, furthermore, in its virtual interface approach, applies to input (X/Y) devices, as well--and all the above-named functions and hardware communications issues associated with the various devices are attained with transparency to the user. In addition, the flexibility is added to provide not only universal video disc control command, but also a universal set of X/Y input commands as well, which allow device changes without resulting application programs.
Multiple device types, in accordance with the extended features of this invention, may be used simultaneously, if desired. Further advanced features include additional commands not available on some players which will work on all players; support of digital audio facility; fast loading of high density graphics files; programming language interfaces; and support of PAL and NTSC videodisc players, among others.
As implemented in preferred form, the technique and system of the invention involve discrete modules of function libraries which are dynamically loaded at run-time, reducing memory overload requirements by using only the functionality required to run the application. An intelligent system software layer optimizes performance of data-intensive tasks, such as graphics and digital audio, meaning, for example, that loading graphics, responding to touch (touch screens), and loading audio can occur simultaneously.
Thus the invention opens the door to a new era where its particular open architecture approach to interactive video systems is consistent with current market demand for non-proprietary solutions, affording users the ability to use components from different vendors, a migration path to new techniques, and an assurance that large numbers of applications will run on their systems today and in the future.
Other and further objects of the invention will be explained hereinafter and are more particularly pointed out in connection with the appended claims.